


Happy Birthday, Steve Rogers

by loveneverwantedme



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Fluff, Fourth of July, Happy Birthday Stevie, M/M, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Pre-Captain America: The First Avenger, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Steve Rogers-centric, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-05
Updated: 2015-07-05
Packaged: 2018-04-07 19:09:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4274679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loveneverwantedme/pseuds/loveneverwantedme
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A glimpse at Steve's birthdays, then and now.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Happy Birthday, Steve Rogers

**Author's Note:**

> For the purposes of this fic I am:
> 
> 1\. Accepting the cinematic universe birthdates for both steve and bucky. So in 1932, bucky is 15 & steve is 14. 
> 
> 2\. Completely ignoring Age of Ultron and the impending Civil War. After tws, steve and sam found bucky and there was crying and manpain and bro bonding and now everyone lives at the tower so deal with it.
> 
> 3\. Pretending I actually posted this on the fourth like I was supposed to.

**1932 - July 4th**

  When Steve was a little kid, he had liked having his birthday on the Fourth of July. He knew it wasn't true, but he had always liked to imagine that all the excitement was just for him, all of the decorations, the parades and the fireworks. The first time Steve went to see the fireworks with his family he had thought it was the greatest birthday present ever. He'd held his breath in awe as the dying stars fell to earth, burning themselves into oblivion.

  Now that he was older and wiser, Steve Rogers had decided that it was perfectly stupid to be born on July 4th and didn't know why he'd ever done such a thing. Namely because today was July 4th and day five of the week-long house arrest (bedrest) prescribed by the good doctor. So Steve lay in his bed, cursing doctors and national holidays and fireworks alike. He had tried to reason with his mother, but Sarah Rogers was a force of nature, Steve might as well have shouted at the wind for all the good it did him.

  Out of spite, Steve refused the dinner said traitorous mother brought him. It took him all of ten seconds to feel awful and wish he could take it back. He knew she was just worried about him. He didn't remember much of what had actually happened this time, the high fever making him delirious, but even Bucky had seemed spooked when Steve finally came to. Bucky was usually pretty good at keeping his cool, so Steve knew it must've been bad, even by their standards.

  The doctor had said it was a lung infection and given him penicillin and pronounced his confinement. Bucky had even been sent home and told to keep away in case it was catching. Of course, Steve had been woken in the middle of the night by his best friend climbing into bed beside him. If Sarah Rogers found them in the morning, cuddled together and dozing peacefully, well she didn't have the heart to protest. (She never did with those two.)

  It was growing dark and Steve was trying to ignore the fact that the fireworks would be starting soon. He sighed and turned in bed, focusing all his sulking power on a very unfortunate patch of wall. Then he heard the telltale creak of the windowsill that meant Bucky had once again opted not to use the front door. He was probably scared of being sent away, but even ma wouldn't dare turn Buck down today.

  "Heya Stevie!" Bucky shot him a blinding grin as he hopped down to the floor.

  "Hey Buck." Steve tried to smile back, he really did.

  "Hey, what's with the long face? None of that allowed on your big day!"

  "Oh yeah, some big day." Steve was sulking worse than ever now he actually had an audience. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm still on lockdown."

  "Bedrest," Bucky corrected. "And it's doctor's orders, gotta look after your health, Stevie."

  "Pshh, what does it matter anyway? I'm cursed."

  "Don't you ever say that." Bucky sounded fierce and Steve had never seen that look in his eyes. "You are a God-given blessing to this Earth and all it's inhabitants and I don't ever want to hear anyone speak otherwise, that includes you Steven Grant Rogers. Do you understand me?"

  Steve couldn't breathe and his eyes burned for some reason he didn't know, or wasn't willing to admit, so he swallowed around the lump in his throat and nodded his head. After a moment of silence, he managed a wobbly: "Jerk."

  Bucky burst into laughter and just like that the tension was gone and he was scooping Steve into a hug and muttering: "Punk."

  "Hey, what's that?" Steve had noticed the package tucked into the back of Bucky's trousers to hide it from plain view. Steve made a grab for it, but Bucky jerked out of his reach.

  "Not for you, if that's what you were thinking." Bucky gave him his most infuriating smirk.

  "Aw come off it, Buck. What'd ya get me?" Bucky just crossed his arms and shook his head, clearly enjoying himself. Steve made a dive for the package and just ended up in Bucky's lap with Bucky holding said package out of reach, laughing hysterically. "Fine," Steve huffed. "Don't give it to me then. See if I even want your stupid present." Bucky sighed in resignation. He knew he was no match for a pouting Steve Rogers.

  "Aw, come on Stevie, you know I was just messin' around. Here, open it. I promise you'll like it."

  Steve let him sweat it out for a bit, but eventually his curiosity won out. He opened the brown paper package to reveal a pad of the finest sketching paper Steve had ever actually laid hands on, along with a few different shading pencils, a beautiful paintbrush and three small tubes of paint: red, yellow, and blue. Stevie held the oil paints up to his face almost reverently, jaw dropping in awe. He turned to Bucky, eyes wide.

  "H-how? How did you afford all this Buck?" A shadow passed over Steve's face. "You didn't steal it, did you?"

  "No! Of course not, you really think I'd give you stolen goods for your birthday? What kinda low-life d'ya think I am?"

  "Then how?" Steve's stare didn't waver. Jeez, Bucky hated it when Steve looked at him like that, like the guy was staring into his very soul. Bucky always ended up telling the truth when Steve looked at him that way and that was dangerous.

  "I just...saved up is all..." Bucky mumbled sheepishly.

  "Buck, you would've had to save all year for this stuff. Wait...you didn't...Buck tell me you didn't."

  "So what if I did?" Bucky was feeling defensive now. Most people said thank you when you gave them nice gifts instead of accusing and lecturing. Besides, it was his money, he could do whatever he wanted with it.

  "Bucky." Steve's voice had gone all ridiculously soft like it sometimes did and his face had followed suit and Bucky just thought that was entirely unfair. "Buck, this is too much. I can't accept this."

  "Yes you can, and you better before I get really offended. Now I don't wanna hear another word about it." Bucky was thrown backwards as Steve tackled him in the most enthusiastic hug known to man.

  "Thanks Buck." The words were whispered into his ear and Bucky couldn't help but shiver at the sensation.

  "You're welcome, Stevie." Bucky heard a distant roll of thunder. Only then he realized that it wasn't thunder and jumped to his feet, pulling Steve with him. "They're starting. Hurry up! C'mon."

  "Who's starting what? Bucky where are we going?" Bucky didn't answer, just very rudely dragged Steve out of the window and onto the fire escape, then up, up, up to the roof. "Buck-" Steve started to question and then stopped short because- oh. This was the most spectacular thing he'd ever seen. The city was alive below them, all light and life, and above them the stars were reaching down to meet them, just barely missing the mark. Steve had never watched the fireworks this way, never even thought to, and now he couldn't imagine watching them any other way. It took Steve a while to realize that Bucky wasn't watching the display, but was watching him carefully.

  "What?"

  "Do you like it?" Bucky looked nervous, as if he really didn't know the answer.

  "Like it! Are you kidding me? Bucky it's perfect. " This earned Steve a smile brighter than the Sun that warmed him from the inside out. Bucky sat down, pulling Steve with him. It was only then that Steve realized they had still been holding hands.

  Bucky didn't seem in any hurry to remedy this as he stretched out on his back and pulled Steve to his side. Steve, not seeing any reason to fight it, rested his head on Bucky's chest and wiggled around a little to get comfortable. Bucky's blinding smile had faded to a content grin. Steve was pretty sure there was a matching one plastered on his face. This was the best birthday present ever.

  "Happy Birthday, Stevie."

  "Thanks Bucky."

**2015 - July 4th**

Bucky has been planning this for months. Stark better not mess this up. Bucky has been pretending to read the same page of this book for half an hour and he can't take it anymore. He gets up and tosses the book onto the couch. He walks across the room to where Steve is drawing by the window and grabs his hand.

  "Come on. It's almost time and I can't wait anymore. " He pulls Steve up and attempts to drag him out of the room. It doesn't work as well as it did when they were kids, Bucky had been considerably larger than Steve back then. He finds this probably more annoying than he should, that he can't simply manhandle Steve into obeying his will.

  "Whoa, hold on Buck. Where ya going?"

  "To the roof." Bucky states this as if it's the most obvious thing in the world, even heaving a sigh and rolling his eyes.

  "Right...and what'cha gonna do up there, buddy?"

  "Buddy? Seriously? Don't you think we're past that?"

  "Then why don't you just tell me-"

  "Steve, please just trust me." Bucky's eyes were so pleading and sincere that Steve had no choice but to cave and follow him to the elevator.

  When they get to the roof, Steve is expecting some sort of visual indication as to why they're up here, but there's nothing. Bucky doesn't let go of his hand and leads them to the exact center of the rooftop. Then he sits down. He freaking sits down, and Steve is left wondering if his best friend has lost his mind...again. Bucky still hasn't let go of his hand and is looking up at him expectantly. Steve is left with no choice but to sit down next to Bucky and hope that all becomes clear soon.

  "So, Buck, feel like filling me in?" No one ever accused Steve Rogers of being a patient man.

  "Nope. You'll see, any minute now." Bucky shot him a small, nervous smile.

  "Right..." Turns out, Bucky had been right and Steve didn't have to wait for long. Soon the sky rumbled and exploded into red and blue. Steve gasped in shock and awe. "Fireworks!"

  "Just wait, it gets better." Bucky was smiling in earnest now. A rare sight nowadays. Steve saw why when the formations started getting more complicated and changing colors, some of them even had star shapes in the center. Then it happened. The next round of fireworks exploded, and Steve had never seen anything like it before. The middle was a blue circle with a white star, but it shot out to form stripes of red and white around itself. The final result, which hung in the air, looked exactly like-

  "It's my shield," Steve gasped. "But how?"

  "Unfortunately I needed Stark's help with some of the technical aspects, but it was my idea."

  "Bucky-" Steve was lost for words, so he just finally did what he'd wanted to all those years ago on top of that tiny apartment building in Brooklyn, with the stars falling down on them, and he kissed his best friend.

  Bucky thought for a moment that he'd actually died and gone to Heaven. He was engulfed in beautiful light and an angel was kissing him. Then Bucky remembered that he had no business in Heaven, but that was even better because it meant this was real. Steve Rogers was kissing him, and all was right with the world. Bucky just let himself savor the soft warmth of Steve's lips. He was quickly getting addicted to the taste of them. When they eventually came up for air, neither one of them could stop grinning like idiots. Bucky rested his forehead against Steve's. Steve was running his fingers through Bucky's hair.

  "Happy Birthday, Stevie."

  "Thanks Bucky."

**Author's Note:**

> Obviously, I do not own Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes, Tony Stark, Avengers Tower or anything related to, created, or owned by Marvel or Disney. (Was that enough of a disclaimer?)


End file.
